The present invention relates to a back protection shield, particularly for motorcyclists and cyclists.
As known, garments designed to protect the backbone in case of falls from motorcycles or bicycles have already been commercially proposed and usually comprise a shield made of semirigid material which extends longitudinally and is so shaped as to cover the entire spinal area of the user""s back.
In some kinds of protection device, the shield as a whole comprises two separate sectors which are hinged to one another at the level of the lumbar region by means of a mechanical articulation which allows the two sectors to perform mutual angular strokes about a pivoting axis extending perpendicularly to the shield. The two sectors are constituted, in turn, by a flexible backing layer made of textile material which acts as a support for a plurality of modular elements sequentially assembled on said backing layer. The modular elements partly overlap over one another and are hinged at the lower edge thereof along hinging lines which extend transversely with respect to the flexible backing layer, whereby performing angular raising and lowering movements with respect to said backing layer to make it possible for the shield to yield and follow the natural movements of the user""s back.
The shield usually has a linear profile having an increasing width in a longitudinal direction starting from the cervical region down to a maximum value at the lumbar region and then getting narrower again at the sacral region of the user""s backbone.
The modular elements forming the shield have different dimensions according to the position they occupy in the overall assembly and comprise a raised portion acting as a protective shell and a recessed flat portion which acts as a sliding surface for a partly overlapping adjacent element.
The flexible backing layer is usually covered by a padding to which two shoulder straps are applied. At the lumbar area two lateral bands are provided, the lateral bands having a tear-away closing system at their end and being designed to close around the user""s hips.
The back protection shield described above, even though it is a quite valid device for protecting the user""s backbone, has some drawbacks mainly due to complexity of its structure, also in view of the large number of components, e.g. the modular elements, to be assembled.
Another drawback of the commercially available model is linked to the fact that it constitutes a barrier for perspiration, since it is usually formed by modular elements filled with plastic material, which stick to the user""s back thereby reducing air circulation and thus causing abundant sweating.
The main object of the present invention is to eliminate or substantially reduce the above mentioned drawbacks faced when using currently is commercially available protection devices, by providing a back protection shield which ensures a high cushioning potential upon collision in case of falls, while having a flexible and lightweight structure designed to ensure good perspiration and thus a high level of comfort.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an accessory for sports clothing which can be inserted in sports jackets or suits, thereby ensuring easy wearability and high freedom of movement for the user.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a protective shield of simple construction and reduced overall dimensions, so as to be comfortable to wear and aesthetically agreeable.
These and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a back protection shield comprising at least one anatomic shell-like body of substantially rigid material longitudinally extending so as to cover, in use, a substantial portion of a user""s backbone and having a concave inner surface designed to face the user""s back and a convex outer surface, and at least one series of stiffening ribs spaced from one another and at least partly extending in a transverse direction.
Advantageously, said shield has a plurality of lightening and perspiration openings.
Conveniently, said lightening and perspiration openings are aligned along a longitudinal median portion of said shield.